Restaurants, convenient stores, and other types of retail outlets have long offered beverages from fountain dispensers. Typically, the outlet keeps a supply of cups, lids, and drinking straws on hand. As is well known, the outlet generally fills the cup with ice, fills with the cup with the beverage from the fountain dispenser, places the lid on the cup, and provides the cup and the straw to the consumer. The cups typically are made out of paper with a plastic lid.
Although these known cups are adequate, the consumer also has a desire to see within the cup so as to determine how much of the beverage is remaining. Such is not possible with the current paper cups.
Although plastic containers are clear and well known, such containers generally are not used at restaurants because consumers also would request a separate cup and ice. Rather, plastic bottles are usually filled at a bottling plant and shipped to a retail outlet. The bottle then may sit on a shelf at the outlet or at the consumer's home. The nature of the plastic material will allow a beverage, such as a carbonated soft drink, to remain at the desired carbonation level for weeks or more. Such plastic bottles generally are not filled at a restaurant and then given to a consumer for immediate consumption. Conversely, although paper cups may be filled for immediate consumption, the paper cups have limited portability.
There also is a desire for a cup and lid combination that is made of the same material. Preferably, the material may be recyclable. The combination also may provide adequate sealing such that the combination would be portable by the consumer. Further, the combination preferably will be easy to manufacture, easy to store, easy to fill, easy to transport, easy to use, and be reasonably priced as compared to conventional paper or plastic alternatives.